At just nine years old, Beau was already aware of it. A looming sadness. A darkness that wrapped itself around him without reason.
“From when I was nine years old, I would find myself in situations where I knew I should be feeling a lot of happiness. But, instead, I was either overwhelmed by sadness or completely numb,” Beau said.
If you’ve had depression yourself – or someone close to you has – you’ll recognise these feelings. You’ll also understand that you can’t wish yourself well or “just snap out of it”.
As Beau and his loving family would come to discover, treating depression is often anything but straightforward. Worse still, depression is notoriously treatment-resistant. Up to one-third of patients do not respond to, or become resistant to, medication or therapy, whatever combination they try.
Beau discovered this for himself at a critical time. Even though he was on the maximum dose of his medication, it wasn’t working. He was considering electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), which was a confronting prospect given the potential side effects, including memory loss.
A gentler and more appropriate alternative for Beau was Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation, or TMS.
TMS uses magnetic pulses to stimulate neurons in certain parts of the brain that regulate mood. Over several treatment sessions, these stimulations help the brain ‘rewire’ itself, so certain regions begin to communicate more effectively. The goal is an end to the extreme lows of depression and greater mood stability.
TMS has been offered here for over two decades now, but it’s always had a one-size-fits-all application.
QIMR Berghofer researchers, Professor Luca Cocchi and Dr Bjorn Burger, are advancing TMS even further.
“We’ve introduced two innovations,” explains Professor Cocchi.
“First—before treatment—we do an MRI scan so we can map the activity of the patient’s brain networks.”
An analysis of the results enables the team to identify which areas of the brain to focus on.
“The second innovation is the use of a robotic arm to stimulate the brain with absolute precision.”
Early results indicate this ultra-personalised and precise TMS treatment is extremely effective with around a 20 percent improvement. But to bring this breakthrough to more people in need, the team need to start a larger-scale randomised clinical trial.
Funding is urgently needed to help deliver new mental health treatments from the lab to those who need them.
Your gift this Christmas can help make a difference for people like Beau.
Donate on the QIMR Berghofer website.
